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Ever wanted to live the exciting life of a senior UK government minister? For little while last month, you could pretend to be one after the Conservative Party released a phone app for their annual conference. A security flaw in the app would allow anyone to log in as an attendee of the event simply by entering their email address.

Guardian columnist Dawn Foster discovered the security hole on September 29 and publicized it on Twitter by demonstrating how she had been able to log into the app as Boris Johnson, former mayor of London and more recently Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.

"It's let me login as Boris Johnson, and just straight up given me all the details used for his registration," Foster wrote. "I'm the most tech illiterate person alive, and I've done this, imagine there are plenty more security bugs."

The app, developed by the Australian company CrowdComms, contained personal information for everyone registered to attend the Conservative Party Conference, including party officials, members of parliament, diplomats, guest speakers, and journalists. Anyone accessing a user account via the security flaw would have been able to view their personal phone number and other private data.

The only thing required to access a registrant's account was their email address, and many lawmakers registered with government email addresses that are known to the public. Some politicians had their information posted to the web or altered within the app before CrowdComms was able to fix it. Reportedly, at least two cabinet ministers received prank phone calls, and other politicians had their profile photos changed to something embarrassing.

After Foster tweeted her findings, a representative of the Conservative Party addressed the breach, saying: "The technical issue has been resolved and the app is now functioning securely. We are investigating the issue further and apologise for any concern caused."

The Information Commissioner's Office, which oversees matters of digital privacy in the UK, also spoke out and announced that they would be making their own inquiries. "Organisations have a legal duty to keep personal data safe and secure," they wrote in a blog post on their website. "Under the GDPR they must notify the ICO within 72 hours of becoming aware of a personal data breach.

Scaling software requires a pragmatic approach that is neither pessimistic nor optimistic. It also requires leveraging the correct systems that can deliver the most value for the investment. Using the right system can actually help your business grow.

So, what is the right system? Generally, it is the system that has the capacity to expand as required but does not demand the purchase or development of software greater than needed at the present time.

Scaling software too soon or too late can be expensive. Scale too soon and you’ve spent more than you needed to spend, scale too late and you run the risk of losing market share. Scaling software properly requires accurate projection while being able to meet rapid expansion when or if it happens. This means that any software you choose to buy or build should be adaptable to changing circumstances and does not impose operational patterns that slow or limit growth.

Automation can be a wonderful thing. It can eliminate human error and get more done in far shorter time. This enables the entrepreneur to structure his or her business towards fulfillment. Customers can be satisfied with less physical effort. And, as digital technology enables greater communication with the customer, it is easier to build brand loyalty. So a big part of scaling software is to make sure that whatever system, whether it’s the online website or the software that runs the telephones, is up to maintaining a high flow level.

Nothing can damage a business more than poor customer interaction. Slow shipping can cut down repeat business and there’s nothing more annoying than an automated voice on the telephone when the customer wants to talk to a real person. Scaling software to your business doesn’t have to be hard as long as any software choices you make  put the customer first.

Digital technology levels the playing field in a number of ways. For example, it enables small companies to operate at a level of productivity that would be impossible if a large number of employees were required. Also, the Internet is itself a level playing field. A well maintained and professionally developed website can make a small company look like a big company. Clients and vendors can't tell how big an e business is.

Numerous storage systems, such as virtual vaults, safeguard information by controlling who has access and what they can and cannot do. IT security engineering has become a vital part of digital operations and is continuing to improve.

Businesses are always looking for ways to get things done in a shorter amount of time. IT lightens the burden on staff by enabling them to get on with the important work while computers handle the second tier operations.

IT also provides wireless access to a company’s computer network, enabling executives to work from home or while traveling. This ease of access permits increased productivity and greater flexibility. Communication is at the very core of modern business and digital technology provides the means to utilize employees and service providers more efficiently and with greater productivity.

Digital technology decreases the time it takes to bring a product to market. It begins with computer aided design and moves all the way through testing, usability testing and manufacturing. It also makes it possible for global teams to all work on the same project at the same time. This crowdsourcing approach allows for rapid development and greater innovation.

Digital technology also provides the communication network that supports stakeholder integration on all levels, from employees to investors and it enables customer service to take place in a truly global market.

IT makes process improvement an ongoing reality by integrating sales, resource planning and other metrics into a single real time platform, this cuts costs while improving efficiency.  This includes financial planning, product creation as well as real time feedback that permits continuous improvements of operational methods.  

Digital technology gives companies the edge to grow domestically and expand globally. It enables the outsourcing of non-central functions that would add to overhead and slow down core productivity. Digital technology is the key to a productive and successful future for companies worldwide.

Other Accenture Series Articles:

New series: Accenture Strategy and Oxford Economics Report

Making Markets: Part Two of the Accenture Report Series

Sourcing Inputs: Part Three of the Accenture Report Series

Software enhancements, configuration changes, and patches all require regression testing and IOS changes are no different.  Applications which may have run quite well with previous iterations may no longer be operable or may have hidden bugs caused by changes in the operating system.  This may require a Change Impact Analysis in order to indicate possible trouble spots which may be affected by IOS updates.  These trouble spots may be in non-functional or functional areas.

Regression testing applications or websites against changes in IOS ensures that those changes have not introduced new faults which can adversely affect the system.  Regression testing of IOS includes examining program behavior, checking for previous fixes that may have re-emerged and re-running completed tests in order to determine if IOS updates have affected previously established functionality.

Testing skill often consists of determining the test set appropriate to cover all possible effects of system changes.  This makes sure that new faults are not created and that old faults do not re-emerged.  It's important to remember that previous bug fixes may be dependent on previous design and redesign may cause them to reappear.  Also, fixes may be narrow in scope, applying only to certain circumstances and those circumstances may have changed with update.  It may even turn out that IOS redesign may include mistakes that didn't exist in the previous incarnation.  Any of these circumstances may adversely affect the operation of the website or application under test.

Never make the mistake of assuming that certain operations will not be affected by updates.  Operating system modification can affect the performance of any website or application and the modifications can have a far greater effect than small changes might imply.  This makes regression testing against IOS updates an important element in ensuring the successful operation of any mobile software or mobile friendly website.

IT is still considered a fairly young industry, yet it is rapidly becoming an integral part of modern life. We rely on digital technology every day and the software industry has become a major contributor to the world economy, and so a number of best practices have been developed for every part of the software development cycle, including quality assurance testing.

The first step in QA best practice is to realize that quality assurance goes both ways. This is easier to understand if the software development chain is looked upon as being horizontal rather than vertical with the end users at the bottom. Instead, information flows from the end users and/or customer facing units across the development cycle to those who are documenting requirements, while those writing the documentation and the coding team can identify flaws in design before coding is undertaken. This two way flow helps meet customer demand while keeping costs down.

While fixing bugs is a vital part of any new release, it’s impossible to find and fix everything. Usage data can provide information as to where testers should concentrate quality assurance. Even so, bugs found by users always receive the highest priority. Another good place to focus attention is where the most changes have been made as this is where it is most likely that bugs will be found.

It is also important to understand the field environment where the application will be operating. Staging environment should reflect operating environment as closely as possible. This includes security testing as well. And don’t forget that a well organized and competent testing team who can hit the ground running, is the best assurance that new features and versions will not bottleneck delivery.

Quality assurance isn’t just something to be tacked on to the end of the development cycle. It is an integral part of  deployment as well. Quality assurance means that our increasing dependence on digital technology will pay the dividends that we are looking for.

Communication is the key to quality assurance. Information regarding the development cycle should flow openly across all the lines and people involved. While the end users may not need to know how to code, getting a clear and precise understanding of what end users need will help both with coding and design.

The rough spots in any development cycle are usually the points where communication has broken down. Somebody didn’t tell someone what that someone needed to know. This causes wasted time and frayed tempers. So, keep communication open and honest.

Clear product definition is a vital part of quality assurance. It’s impossible to assure the quality of an ill defined product. This is where project management steps in to make certain that everyone has the information they need to not only do their job, but to account for changes required by stakeholders and still get the software released on time. This isn’t always easy. So, a development workshop should be run before development commences in earnest.  

One of the best ways to make happy stakeholders is to make sure that the software under development meets the basic criteria for a fully functioning program. It must fulfill user requirements, function properly in the operational environment including successful interfacing with established software, and be easy to use. Meeting at least these requirements ensures that stakeholders will be happy with the final product.

Quality assurance is more than just running tests. It is a union of testing and management. It includes everything from the original documentation, through coding, project tracking and data collection. In short, it includes everyone involved operating as different members of the same team. Teams require leadership and a willingness by the participants to perform their functions without stepping on other people's toes. Ultimately, the best way to turn out a quality product and create happy stakeholders is to get and keep stakeholders involved in the software development process.

Time management skill is required in order to complete testing within the often short timelines available. Time management means the ability to concentrate on the task at hand, prioritize actions, and give feedback all within the time available.

Comprehension is another important aspect of software testing. A good software tester will not only understand what should be tested, but also understand the order of testing, what can and cannot be automated, and the different levels of importance that should be given to different aspects of a test. Comprehension is something that must be learned, it’s a matter of applying knowledge and experience. Which is why experienced testers are so valuable and why neophyte testers must be willing to learn.

In fact, being willing to learn is an important quality in and of itself. Software testing is always advancing and what is standard operating procedure today can be obsolete tomorrow. Being proficient in a particular scripting language is not enough. A quality tester will work hard to keep current with the latest automation tools, testing protocols and technology.

Another important quality is empathy. The software tester must be able to understand the customer's needs and wants. And exceptional testers can go beyond the documentation to get into the customer’s head. This particular skill is built on experience.

With empathy comes the ability to build realistic test case scenarios. Quality testers can relate to real life. They aren’t just nerds who can’t see beyond their computer screens. In reality, such an individual would make a lousy tester.

Perhaps the single most important quality is the ability to think outside the box. Imagination isn’t just useful in building test case scenarios. It enables the tester to visualize what could go wrong and to hunt down where bugs might be hiding. To sum it up, a quality software tester is an intelligent individual with the empathy, imagination and skill to do the job. For now and the foreseeable future, there is no substitute for the human mind.

Each sprint must result in a workable and potentially deliverable element of the final product. This is quite different from the traditional development lifecycle where the various aspects of project development are only addressed once.

Instead, agile development enables the various aspects of development to be revisited at the end of every iteration. This means that the different elements, including design and requirements, can be reevaluated to ensure that necessary changes are made and integrated. To put it simply, waterfall is linear and descending,  while agile is evolutionary, using feedback loops to assist in the development of the product.

The feedback loops of scrum encourage repeated inspection and adaptation both of the processes used to build the product and the product itself. What counts most is individual contribution and interactions, working software, adaptation to change, and customer collaboration. The purpose is to enable a rapid and sustainable rate of delivery. Working features delivered are valued more than a single release at the end of development.

As product development is ongoing and releases are frequent, testing becomes an integrated part of development rather than being pushed off to the end of the cycle. This includes all forms of testing necessary to test a particular module.

Programming itself is only one element of a sprint that contains all other elements, including requirements, design, integration, testing and potentially deployment. This enables coding to take place in a dynamic, rather than isolated, environment. The programmer is not isolated in an ivory tower. But then again, neither is anyone else.

Scrum is a collaborative effort designed around the team, rather than a top down organization based on authority. This enables individuals on scrum teams to learn as they go and become self-managing. The great thing about the new agile task management framework of scrum is that it follows the natural way that people work. It points to the agile managed organizations of the future.

The first principle in accessibility testing is to look at the design itself.  Is the interface logically designed and easy to understand?  The screen should not be cluttered and there should be no navigational inconsistencies.  Also, links should be descriptive and compatible with screen readers. In fact, navigation is one of the most important aspects of accessibility.  All users should be able to navigate easily through the site and this includes keyboard navigation.

Text is another important part of accessibility.  It should be clear and easy to read, as confusing fonts  can be major obstacles to visually impaired users.  User accessibility testers should ensure that letters are clear and text blocks a readable.  According to W3C, the minimum contrast ratio between text and background should be 4.5:1 for normal text and can go as low as 3:1 for bold or large fonts.  The spaces between lines should be no less than 25% the size of the font and minimum font size should be no less than 16 pixels.

HTML should be optimized for screen readers.  This means that navigation menus should be at the bottom of the page which, unfortunately, is the least workable place to put it for sighted readers.  Fortunately, cascading style sheets have solved this problem.

Also, avoid color coding.  While using color codes can be a fast way to communicate, it must be remembered that not everyone can see every color and some people see the same colors in different ways.  For example, some people confuse red and green or brown and green while a very small percentage are totally color blind and see the world only in black and white.

Empathy is the basic principle for building and testing accessible web sites and applications.  Builders and testers must put themselves in the other fellow's shoes.  That may require a bit of research concerning what problems have been addressed in the past, and an understanding of W3C guidelines.  It comes down to ensuring that everyone has equal access.

Australia’s biggest startup and innovation festival, Pause Fest, is done and dusted for another year.

As usual, the event took place in our own backyard, Melbourne, from February 8-10. This year our digital marketing manager, Kieron (@digital_kieron), went along to check out the action.

Anyone who's been to a Pause event in the past knows they're always a tonne of fun. Any time you get some of the world’s greatest minds from business, tech and creative fields, some sparks are bound to fly.

Across the three days Pause opened it’s doors to hundreds of up-and-coming Aussie startups and thousands of attendees, all taking the pulse of Melbourne’s vibrant startup scene. 

This year’s edition did not disappoint. 

These kind of events always provide a glimpse into what’s happening on the fringe of mainstream, but this year in particular served as a reminder that we’re on the cusp of some of the most disruptive technological changes the world has seen. 

Between the presenters and exhibitors, it was amazing to see such a huge presence behind things like virtual reality, augmented reality, human-computer interfaces and artificial intelligence. 

Just in case you couldn't make it, we've compiled some of our favourite distinctly Pause moments below...

For starters, check out That Startup Show interviewing Matthew Noyes about NASA's Star Wars-style holodecks and how they were being used to train astronauts. (I mean, that quite literally, only existed in science fiction even half a decade ago!)

Other attendees were spotted dining with drones (as you do at Pause I guess?)...


The Pause organizers allocated one day each to Creative, Tech, and Business. It was pretty cool to see amazing things being demoed every day, and hear speakers deliver insightful talks on topics ranging from managing brands in the Trump era to advances in AI powered chatbots and the relation of humans to tech.

From Pixar to women in tech to Trump to VR… that’s quite a lot to take in.

Keen observers may have spotted Elon Musk’s right hand man Branden Spikes, the former CIO of PayPal and SpaceX in the crowd…

We exhibited on February 9th (the "tech" day) with a whole bunch of other startups at varying stages of the startup life cycle, and attempting to solve a wide range of problems. 

It was also great to see so many women at Pause, including an awesome women-only panel on VR!

Catching up with so many like-minded startups was an enlightening experience. 

It’s funny… whether it’s conversations around operating on a shoestring budget, reaching target audiences, or building sustainable business models, as much as technology evolves and new seemingly unfathomable ideas come to life, the same old entrepreneurial struggles are still as relevant and present as ever. 

Of course, there’s much more to Pause than just tech innovation. We loved the insights on storytelling and branding from Lucasfilm and Pixar, some of the best in the business.

Those presentations served as a valuable reminder that even in 2017 a good idea is not enough to warrant success. Not being able to connect with your end users through persuasive stories will kill you cold.

We enjoyed every moment of our time at Pause 2017, and are looking forward to the 2018 edition. 

Thanks to Clare and the team at Pause for putting on such a great event and fueling the Melbourne (and AUS) startup scene. And shout out to our exhibition neighbour Nino from Lumanetix (@lumanetix) for helping us keep the banners upright every time a gust of wind blew through :) (those guys are going places with their semantic and user-centric search tools).